Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-12994

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost per unit was of sites developed in each year since 1980 by housing associations or co-operatives, or their agents, and funded in full or in part by (a) the Housing Corporation, (b) Scottish Homes and (c) Communities Scotland.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The following table gives details of the average cost per unit for all housing construction approved through Registered Social Landlords by Communities Scotland, and its predecessor organisation, in each of the last 10 years.

Average Total Cost Per Unit of Houses Approved Through Registered Social Landlords for Funding by Communities Scotland

Year
1994-95	£51,594
1995-96	£55,864
1996-97	£56,646
1997-98	£56,874
1998-99	£59,395
1999-2000	£61,401
2000-01	£66,492
2001-02	£70,981
2002-03	£74,367
2003-04	£80,656

Note: Data prior to 1994-95 are not available.

Question reference: S2W-12997

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 13 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is to receive a hearing test for a digital hearing aid.

The Executive is committed to modernising and improving audiology services across NHSScotland. We are investing almost £20 million over the five year period 2002-03 to 2006-07 to ensure NHS boards are equipped with the necessary facilities, equipment, staff and hearing aids to provide a modernised service.

The Executive is currently setting up a mechanism for gathering information from audiology departments and it is proposed that this information, which will include waiting times, will be published when the process has been established.

The information requested is not available centrally. Information on NHS waiting times is collected centrally only for first outpatient appointment at consultant-led clinics, following referral by a general medical or dental practitioner, at specialty level only, and for inpatient and day case treatment.

Question reference: S2W-12993

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new-build units were developed in each year since 1980 by housing associations or co-operatives, or their agents, and were funded in full or in part by (a) the Housing Corporation, (b) Scottish Homes and (c) Communities Scotland.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The following table gives details of the number of units approved through Registered Social Landlords by Communities Scotland, and its predecessor organisation, since 1989-90.

Year	Housing Association Rent and Low Cost Home Ownership Units Approved
1989-90	4,170
1990-91	4,500
1991-92	4,784
1992-93	6,556
1993-94	6,569
1994-95	6,360
1995-96	6,725
1996-97	4,581
1997-98	3,752
1998-99	4,067
1999-2000	4,682
2000-01	4,944
2001-02	5,183
2002-03	4,119
2003-04	5,189

Note: Data prior to 1989-90 are not available.

Question reference: S2W-12783

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many early retirement packages were granted to chief executives and officers at director level in each of the 12 local authorities which participate in the Strathclyde Pension Fund in each financial year since 1999-2000, showing the cost of such packages in each authority, broken down by the level of seniority of staff receiving each package.

The total numbers of early retirements in respect of all local government employers participating in the Strathclyde Pension Fund for the years 1999-2000 to 2003-04 are given below. However, it is not possible to break them down into specific local authorities, by cost per package or by seniority of staff, as that level of detail is not held centrally. That information may be available from the authorities themselves.

Year	Numbers of Early Retirements
1999-2000	387
2000-01	318
2001-02	386
2002-03	525
2003-04	365

Question reference: S2W-13058

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum Action Plan.

Question reference: S2W-11852

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 October 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has undertaken of the efficacy of its debtline pilot in Fife.

Independent consultants were contracted in 2002-03 by the Department for Trade and Industry to perform an evaluation of National Debtline, including the pilot call centre in Fife.

Their findings concluded that, due to low levels of demand for the Fife service and other factors, a central National Debtline would provide a more effective and efficient service to Scottish callers.

As such, the Fife pilot was withdrawn on 31 March 2003, and services transferred to the central National Debtline operation in Birmingham.

Question reference: S2W-12999

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 5 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what concordats have been signed with Scottish Power in respect of Whitelees Wind Farm and what the community benefit will be in each of the local authority areas affected by the wind farm.

Question reference: S2W-12962

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue a planning advice note on affordable housing and, if so, what consultation will take place prior to its issue.

Question reference: S2W-12681

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 21 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how many substantive answers to written questions each minister (a) gave in session one and (b) has given in session two and what the average number of working days was for the provision of such answers by each minister.

The number of substantive answers to written questions by each minister in session one and two is given in the Audit of Written Scottish Parliamentary Questions copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. Details of those publications and their Bib. numbers are given in the following table.

The information requested about the average number of working days for the provision of such answers by each minister has not been held centrally since the Audit of Scottish Parliamentary Questions: May 1999-January 2000 which gives the average number of weeks taken to reply (rounded to the nearest whole week).

Title	Year	Annex or Appendix	Bib. Number.
Audit of Scottish parliamentary questions: May 1999 to January 2000	1999	Appendix 5	7213
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: January to June 2000	2000	Annex 6	9564
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: 1 July to 30 September 2000	2000	Annex 5	13150
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: 1 October to 31 December 2000	2000	Annex 5	16087
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: 1 January to 31st March 2001	2001	Annex 5	15927
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: 1 April to 30 June 2001	2001	Annex 5	17443
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: 1 July to 30 September 2001	2001	Annex 5	18627
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: 1 October to 31 December 2001	2001	Annex 5A	22244
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: 1 January to 31 March 2002	2002	Annex 5	24761
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: 1 April to 30 June 2002	2002	Annex 5	25323
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: 1 July to 30 September 2002	2002	Annex 5	25930
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: 1 October to 31 December 2002	2002	Annex 5	27278
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: 1 January to 31 March 2003	2003	Annex 5	28176
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: April to June 2003	2003	Annex 4	33394
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: July to September 2003	2003	Annex 4	31069
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: October to December 2003	2003	Annex 4	32751
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: January to March 2004	2004	Annex 4	33147
Audit of written Scottish parliamentary questions: April to June 2004	2004	Annex 4	34645

Question reference: S2W-12781

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 20 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how many workers will be affected by the £34 million deficit in respect of the Strathclyde Pension Fund, as indicated in the Fund Actuary's report of 31 March 2004.